I Am Forever
by Miss Lead
Summary: xThat horrible story where the villain is already dead, the victims insane, and the heroes must murder or be murdered.x as thou art now so once was i, as i am now so you must be, therefore prepare to follow me... xIf you fall to him, it lasts forever.x
1. Prologue

._P_**r**ol**o**g_u_**e**.

Rosefathom padded slowly towards camp, looking around herself anxiously.

_whereareyouimlookingyoureneveraloneimlooking_

"Is he still following me?" She murmured mutely to herself. She knew she had to get back to camp to be safe, but she couldn't run, or make any loud noises. It was really too bad that it was leaf-fall, and the fallen leaves were crunching under her, making enough noise for rapid chills to be sent down her spine every few steps.

_youknowillfindyouiloveyouillfindyou_

She looked up to the night sky, the moonless night sky. Only the stars gave her light, just enough so that she could tell where she was going. But then again, she had surely memorized the route to ThunderClan camp from the tunnel entrance near WindClan by now.

After all, Rosefathom had been meeting with Fire for what seemed like a long time now. Nine moons, at least. Before he started to break, to fall into pieces for reasons unknown, before her very eyes.

"**They're after me, Rosefathom! They—they're coming for me! They'll put me out!"**

"What happened fire, why wont you tell me?" She whispered forlornly, still struggling to get back to camp. She was going slowly because she didn't want to go fast, so he wouldn't hear…

"I need to face it. He hurt me. He hurt my leg. I can't—" She almost let out a desperate yowl but stopped herself, dragging her tattered left hind-leg behind her. Was it still bleeding? She didn't know. Even if she looked, Rosefathom was sure she wouldn't be able to tell the difference between rosy-red fur and blood. Or so she told herself.

_dontrunbecauseillfindyou_

It seemed like camp was moons away, when she had traveled so far already, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. _'Why, Fire, why?'_

"**No, no, no! You can't leave me. I love you, I love you, love—! **_**No!**_**"**

**Then the growl turns to a snarl, and fire orange lashes out at rosy red. Blood splatters, shocked yowl of pain, Fire shrieking that he's sorry, shrieking that he'll kill her, shrieking that they've come for him…**

_**They…**_

Suddenly a sense of fear overwhelms Rosefathom, and she can almost hear a voice in the back of her head yowling "run, run!", so she tries to but stumbles over a branch. She bites her tongue to stop a yowl of pain, and the taste of blood fills her mouth. Then she realizes her eyes are closed, and pulling herself up she opens them. Suddenly the fear faded, and she felt only defeat. Felt only the claws of death.

_iseeyou_

"You're here."

**Nine moons old. Nine moons into the past. She had just decided to go for a walk when she had realized she had walked to far, was too close to the border. She had turned around and meant to go back when she accidentally bumped** **a rock near her paw into a hole... where it sounded like it slid down somewhere, finally making a clacking noise on the bottom.**

**If only she had never gone in.**

**If only she had never met him.**

**If only a fire couldn't be put out.**

**If only she had never fallen in love.  
**

.x__________________________________________________________x.

The silver furred cat awoke with a start, gasping for air. She opened her icy blue eyes and looked around the nursery, dread overwhelming her.

'_I need to…find…'_

She stumbled to her feet, the heavy weight in her belly somewhat putting her off balance, and dragged herself out of the nursery.

She looked up at the night sky, the moonless night sky. Only the stars gave her light, just enough to see where she was going.

_**But then again, she had surely memorized the route to ThunderClan camp from the tunnel entrance near WindClan by now.**_

The queen froze, eyes widening.

"What's going on, Rosefathom?" She murmured, sure that she had just felt the thoughts of her friend. They had never shared any sort of special 'link', but she was absolutely sure that it was the pretty red she-cat that had awoken her, sure it was her friend that was feeling—

_Fear? Rosefathom, where _are_ you?_

"You're out late."

She looked up to see a crimson furred cat sitting before her. Rosefathom's brother. He'd help. He'd know what to do.

"Crimsonwing!" She managed to gasp out, air still coming at odd paces into her lungs. "I—I—where's Rosefathom?"

Crimsonwing frowned, narrowing his eyes. She could see worry spark behind his green eyes.

"I don't know, I woke up and she wasn't there. She disappears sometimes, but I've never pried…" He trailed off, his voice indication that now he thought he should have pried.

Panic was growing in her, and she almost felt like someone was chasing her, she couldn't run, she couldn't make noise, no—her leg, there was a pain in her leg…

"…right?"

She looked up, breathing hard. "Wh-what?" She asked, eyes wide.

"I asked if you were all right." Crimsonwing was standing now, stiff and now looking rather anxious.

_**RUN!**_

She fell over with a cry, and vaguely heard Crimsonwing yowl something, vaguely saw a few other cats awaken and rush over.

"Ro-Rosefathom! Help—Rosefathom! Run! Run!" She felt herself shriek, unaware yet aware of her words.

_**The claws of death.**_

"She's dead." The silver queen, Silverdust, sighed in defeat. Soon she only felt blackness, and a rip of pain.

_Silverdust awoke to darkness, and faintly saw a dusty silver light off in the distance. She couldn't help but giggle hysterically at her name and the light._

_Then she felt the presence of a being beside her. She turned and looked, face to face with the green eyes of a rosy red cat._

"_Thank you for trying." She whispered, almost inaudible. But she seemed different, and Silverdust couldn't help but stutter out, "Who--what _are_ you?"_

_Rosefathom looked down, sadness in her eyes._

"I am dead._"_

**A'N:**

Writer's block for thirteen ways, so I decided to write a four-shot. Five-shot if you include the prologue. It's confusing right now, but I like confusing people. I'll explain everything eventually. Some things you might have to pick up, but don't let that scare you off! Review, dangit! D':


	2. Drowned

A/N:

This chapter is probably even more confusing, but gives you the basic of what's happening if you're willing to dig out words. I'm editing the summary since and title... well, i can, so take that. :O Story will really remain the same, i'm just still toying with ideas seeing as how i'm only writing this to get rid of writer's block.

Shadowed kat- I really like you! Keep reviewing! -gives special first-reviewer-glomp-

Innocence- Bah! I was one of those people taught not to put apostrophes in 'wont', so I forget every single time. D: I'll try to remember that, lawl. And yes, 'fire' was a stupid mistake, thankee for pointing it out. o.o;; ~Why, thank you! I didn't mean to make anything poetic, but I rather like that now that you point it out. xD ~

This story contains a bit of 'curiosity killed the cat', which by the way, is a great plottish thing for a story. I'll see to that. ;P X x oh, and i wanted to use that poem so i stuck it in here. i don't know if it flows since it isn't too long, but it does match the story, so meh.

* * *

Once upon a time, Fallen Leaves went into the tunnels and never came out. But remember how the old blind cat asked him if it was raining?

_Once upon a time, there was a__** fallen**__ one before him…_

"Halt passengers as you go by; remember you are born to die_."_

"StarClan forbid," Came a gasp of shock and agony, "Not another one!"

"Another dead rogue?" The sleek golden tabby slunk dripping out of the stream where she had been looking for minnows to give as a treat to the kits and padded over to her friend. "Honestly, you think they would have learned not to go into deep water by now if they can't swim, eh Flowerfur?"

"You'd think." The tiny dark-striped light-brown tabby echoed, staring at the wet, motionless body before her. The golden tabby sighed, but before she could say anything, Flowerfur mewed out in distress.

"Shining-gaze, don't you think that, like you said, they would have learned by now? Isn't it… odd… that the rogues keep drowning?"

Shining-gaze flicked a ear and sat down next to her friend, inspecting the cream furred tom that lie before her. "I s'ppose, but what're you gonna do about it? Maybe their just stupid."

That was show Shining-gaze dismissed something when she was feeling fear of something, and Flowerfur knew it. She looked into her friend's amber eyes and mewed, "Okay, so that's what you're father would say. Now what are _you_ thinking?"

Shining-gaze gazed back long and hard at her friend's narrowed dark green eyes and finally mewed quietly, "Something must be making them drown."

Flowerfur snorted disdainfully, giving a quick swat to the golden she-cat's left ear. "You really believe that theory that old Juniperspots said? The thing about 'the mysterious spirit that seeks vengeance'? You know he's sick and soon to die, right?"

Shinging-gaze cast her eyes down with a little shrug. She had said what she had thought. Flowerfur sighed.

"Okay, fine, so I can't think of anything better. Let's bury this poor cat and head back to camp."

While they were digging the shallow hole where the cat would rest, Shining-gaze retreated once again to her thoughts. Juniperspots was very old and doomed to die within days, he was wise and used to be a medicine cat before he retired to be an elder. Wouldn't he be close to the dead? Wouldn't he know about angry spirits?

_That she-cat from ThunderClan was murdered by some crazy rogue a few moons ago, and that's when the rogues began dying, though so far there's only been five… yet… the odd murder and the suicidal rogues have to be connected somehow._

Shining-gaze resolved to go ask Juniperspots a little about the fabled spirit.

.x_____.vi.____x.

"Juniperspots is dead?"

Crookedjaw, their medicine cat, nodded sadly.

"'E 'a a 'ood' 'meh'or." The medicine cat clacked out. The poor cat had had his jaw yanked by a badger when he was just a kit, and since then it's been out of place and her for him to speak. To top it off, Juniperspots was so old he had to retire early since he could hardly stay awake, leaving Crookedjaw a medicine cat at eleven moons. He was fifteen moons now, and though he was young, he was dedicated to his job and learned anything he didn't know about herbs from other medicine cats during the half-moon, and, supposedly, StarClan themselves.

Shining-gaze sighed, then flattened her ears nervously before the black-and-gray toirtishell before her. "Did… what did he say about the 'spirit'? Do you believe him…" She trailed off nervously, gazing at the battered young cat before her. He simply stared back for a bit and then meowed in his crackling and somewhat strained voice, "'aid da' 'eer't 'us 'uming oo 'et uh aw, da' 'uh 'ose wuh 'est 'uh 'ers'."

The golden cat took a moment to understand what he had said. _Said that spirit was coming to get us all, that the rose was…_

"Er," She mewed nervously and stuttered out, "I'm s-sorry, what was the rose?"

Crookedjaw seemed to grin, an amused glint in his eyes. For some reason the young medicine cat seemed to always find it rather funny when no one could understand him. This time he took his time, trying to get the words out of his clacking jaw.

"'ust… ah… erssstuh."

_Just the first. The rose was just the first._

_Rosefathom was the cat that was killed in ThunderClan._

_Were more Clan cats going to die?_

After a few heartbeats Shining-gaze realized that Crookedjaw was still watching her. She managed to stutter out hurried thanks, and then walked out of the she began speed-walking over to the spot by the camp's entrance where Flowerfur was eating a large fish. Her friend looked up.

"Oh, Shining-gaze, want some of the—" She broke off midway, seeing the determined and anxious look in the golden tabby's eyes. "What is it?" The tiny cat mewed, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"I think I've connected a few things." Shining-gaze told her, then explained what Crookedjaw has kindly told her. Flowerfur looked at her blankly and snorted, "Yes? What is that supposed to mean?"

"The rogues died by drowning, and ThunderClan gave away that Rosefathom had been rather damp-furred. Maybe it's a long-shot, but… remember those tunnels that we found as kits?"

_The two little RiverClan kits ran down the hole, expecting it to be a fox-hole, but were surprised when it led to a big cave-like place. They deemed it a worthy play-place, and kept sneaking away from their mothers to come back until…_

"Yes… I do."

Flowerfur's timid voice snapped Shining-gaze out of the memory, and Flowerfur continued on, "We almost drowned there, remember?" Flowerfur's eyes widened once she stated this.

"You don't think some cat actually did drown there, do you?" She said in a hushed whisper. Shining-gaze nodded slowly.

"Juniperspots told me that I was lucky to get out, and mentioned something about spirits wandering the tunnels, some sort of thing StarClan warned him about." Shining-gaze whispered, throwing a look around her to make sure no other cats were listening. Flowerfur's wide eyes were now fearful, but she still managed to try to crack a joke.

"He was all about spirits, wasn't he?" Flowerfur giggled nervously, making Shining-gaze roll her eyes.

"Yeah, I heard some elders at a gathering a few moons ago talking about how he always seemed to be more interesting in spirits of cats that weren't in StarClan. I wish we had talked to him more."

The brown tabby before her sighed.

"I do too, I think. Would've been interesting to hear if he's ever spoken to one…"

That's when Shining-gaze got an idea, one fueled by curiosity.

"_Let's go to the tunnels…"_

x.____.ii.____x

_Once upon a time, on a bright and sunny day, two she-cats decided to go into the tunnels, fearful yet brave. _

"I don't think there's anything down here. Shining-gaze, this was a waste of time. Can we go now?"

_They wanted to try and see if there was a spirit. _

"I was so sure, though… I thought maybe we could do something."

_They wanted to see if they could convince it to leave the Clans alone, before anymore damage was done._

"I know, but this is getting creepy…"

_They were innocent souls; they couldn't have expected the outcome. _

"Well, I guess—did you hear that?"

_They certainly didn't expect the rain._

"It's raining!" Flowerfur wailed, turning around and dashing for the exit. The poor tabby thought that her friend was following her, using the common sense behind those shining eyes. When she heard no one behind her, she turned around, just by the exit.

"Shining-gaze?" She called out hesitantly, but heard only the slosh of water. The tunnels had filled fast—but they were RiverClan cats, and Flowerfur was determined to find her friend.

"Shining-gaze!" She shrieked diving into the water, knowing that her friend's bright golden fur would be…should be… easy to see in the dark. But the water was rising, and Flowerfur knew she had to get out before the exit disappeared from her sight.

Yet as she left, she almost felt something leave with her, something whisper in her ear, _"You are mine now… both mine… connected… mine."_, almost felt her mind begin to shatter as something else began to take hold of her subconciousness.

It's a pity that the key-word is almost, isn't it?

x.___.vii.___.x

"_Another has been taken my friend, my clan-mate, sister of my soul. Another has been taken."_

_Silverdust once again was in the blackness, and with the darker, different Rosefathom was now another cat, a dripping wet golden tabby with a forlorn look in her eyes._

"_They almost saved us, it's a pity that they didn't stay closer to the exit, isn't it? And more shall fall now, dear. To stop the fallen ones, more must die. Can you kill them?"_

_Silverdust stared at the two sets of eyes. They stared back._

"_You're asking me to murder cats?" She whispered hoarsely, desperate for different set of words to come from Rosefathom's mouth._

"_I am not asking you. I am telling you. You must start with a fallen one from RiverClan. You must kill her and all that come into contact with her."_

_That's when the other cat spoke, the one with the dull-gaze. Yet her voice was differen't from Rosefathom's sad yet hard tone, her voice was desperate and agonized yet angry and threatening._

"_You must kill the tabby-cat Flowerfur by the full moon and all she speaks to, or your kits will die a sad death."_

_Then Silverdust woke up to the coughing of her newborn kits._

"Consider time is running fast; death will surely come at last."


End file.
